Opening Up
by XxlilmisstroublexX
Summary: I watched Dreadnought the other day and got this idea, Tom and B'Elanna had a moment towards the beginning of the episode......what if Tom approached B'Elanna to talk? Heres what I think.....


My first sci-fi fanfic! So please be nice.....P/T pairing.....

I watched Dreadnought the other day and got this idea, Tom and B'Elanna had a moment towards the beginning of the episode......what if Tom approached B'Elanna to talk? Heres what I think.....

Tom was sat in his quarters reading a PADD. Well he had the PADD infront of him but he wasnt really reading it.....He was thinking about the ships chief engineer. When they had spoken earlier in the day she had seemed to generally care about how he was behaving Maybe he could speak to her? Make another friend?

Harry was great....his best friend but he always saw the best in person and tried to get along with everybody. Tom couldnt go upto him and tell him about the abuse half the ship had been giving him. But B'Elanna....although Tom barely knew her he knew she would tell him the truth and always be honest.

Before he knew what he was doing Tom was stood outside B'Elannas quarters, he didnt even realise he knew where she stayed. He rang the door chime and had no answer, he stood there a few more moments and waited but still no answer.

Just as he turned round he bumped straight into, said chief engineer. Who looked equally as surprised to see him as he was to see her.

"Paris? What are you doing here?"

"Hi.....ummmm, I was.....well I was hoping we could talk?"

"Talk? Me and you?"

"Yeah....I mean I thought after earlier you could listen and I could ramble, like im doing now and then you could put me straight about what im doing round here to make the crew hate me so much?"

"Your past maybe?"

"Okayyyyyy well I should have known it would be a mistake coming here"

With that Tom walked off down the corridor leaving behind a shocked B'Elanna, who in turn entered her quarters for an early night, before her shift in the morning.

The next morning Harry was sat in the Messhall with Tom eating some new concoction Neelix had come up with.

As B'Elanna entered she saw said two and headed to there table, she had been rude to Tom the night before, tired but rude and she was going to attempt an apology. As she came closer though she realised this would be harder than she originally thought as Tom got up and left the Messhall, not even once looking at her.

"Hey Starfleet, mind if I sit?"

"Sure, You ok?"

"Yeah, Where did Tom go off to that fast?"

"Dont know, just said he needed to be somewhere"

"Weird, whats up with him lately?"

"I dont know, I mean hes turning upto staff meetings late.....I hear rumours he's fighting and he hasnt once tried to chat up the Delany sisters this week. Its not like him"

"Yeah"

"Do you know something I dont?"

"Why would I know something?"

"I dont know.....just the way your staring off into space"

"Well I dont.....now I have to go for the staff meeting.....are you coming?"

"Sure"

With that they both got up and headed for the briefing, on the way meeting up with Chakotay.

Chakotay and Harry got into a conversation and B'Elanna just walked with them, in her own little world. A million questions going through her head and all about one certain pilot.

Walking into the broefing room B'Elanna and Harry sat down, leaving a seat between them for Tom, his usual.

Five minutes into the briefing and Tom had yet to show, B'Elanna hadnt paid any attention to the captain. Her attention was all on the door.

Tom walked into the briefing room 15minutes late, the captain never said anything, she just looked at him and carried on. He sat down in his usual seat and kept his eyes on the desk, his back was killing him, he needed to get back to his quarters as soon as possible to sort it out before they turned into bruises.

"B'Elanna? B'Elanna?"

B'Elanna vagually heard her name and looked up at the captain, everybodys eyes were on her, she didnt realise she had been staring at Tom since he came in and now everybody was looking at her, including Tom.

"Yes Captain?"

"How is everything down in engineering?"

"Oh yes its fine.....everything is ok"

"Ok everybody dismissed.....apart from you Mr Paris"

Tom stayed sat down as everybody left.

"Yes Captain?"

"Thats three times you have been late this week Mr Paris.....is there a problem I need to be made aware of?"

"No Captain"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes"

The captain sat down opposite Tom.

"Look Tom I know its been hard on you for years now, with everything that happened back home and coming here as an observer and then getting promoted but I need to know your handling it all ok, now if there is a problem please tell me?"

"There isnt captain....I assure you"

"Ok then, well dismissed Mr Paris"

B'Elanna had almost made it to engineering when Chakotay caught up with her and grabbed her arm stopping her from entering, she had been ignoring him most the way here and then made it to the lift without him, leaving him behind for a few minutes.

"B'Elanna!"

"Yes?"

"Why have you been ignoring me?"

"I dont know, why have you been following me?"

"To check your ok"

"Why wouldnt I be?"

"Look B'Elanna has Paris done something?2

"What do you mean? Paris?"

"I saw the way you kept look out for him before he came wondering in 15minutes late and how you kept watch on him throughout the whole briefing"

"I was just thinking is all"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes"

"Ok well if you need me you can talk to me you know"

" I know....thanks Chakotay"

After he shift had finished later that evening B'Elanna stopped by Toms, she still had yet to apologise and what better time to do it than in quarters where nobody was about, after all B'Elanna wasnt the apologising type.

She rang the door chime and almost immediately Tom answered, only wearing his navy blue boxers.....yes she noticed his boxers!

"B'Elanna what are you doing here?"

"I came to apologise about last night and tell you im here to talk if you want to"

"Wow....I mean nows really not a good time"

"Why not? I mean were both finished for the night, you havent really got any friends, no offence and Harrys working the night shift so we could go to the holodeck, couple rounds of pool....what do you say?"

Tom didnt get chance to answer as B'Elannas eyes noticed another figure in the room, wrapped only in a bedsheet......Megan Delany. Her eyes shot open as she stepped back, realising only then Megan had heard there whole conversation. So B'Elanna came up with the only comment she could, before she fled.

"Well I guess not all the rumours are true"

Please Review....let me know if I should carry on!


End file.
